Internal-combustion engine.



S. A. REEVE. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

" APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11. 1905. Patented Sept 29 1-908 4 SHEETS-SHEET1.

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' s. A. REEVE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLIOA'IIOH FILED AUG. 11, 1905.

899,842.- Patented Sept. 29 1908.

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S. A. REEVE- INTBRNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11. 1905. 899,842, Patented Sept. 29, 1908. 4SHEETS-SHEET s.

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S. A. REEVE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

urucnxon FILED we. .11, 1905.

Patented Sept. 29, 1-908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY A. REEVE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES F.BROWN, TRUSTEE, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE s ecification and accompanying drawings ilustrate the invention in a form Which I now regard as the best out ofthe various forms 1n which it may be embodied.

' This invention relates to explosive englnes operating on the Lenoircycle modified by 1n1t1al compression and there are therefore one ormore pumps for compressing the charge outside of thecombustion-cylinder,

and the valve and igniting organs of the combustion-cylinder are suchthat the compressed charge is drawn into the cylinder during the firstpart of the stroke, is cut off and exploded, and finally expanded duringthe remainder of the stroke. Exhaust occurs during the back-stroke andthe cycle is then repeated.

Formerly it has been proposed to time the ignition with the cut-off, butowing to variations between the piston speed and the rate of flame propaation, difierences occuring in the combustibi ity of the charge, varyingdegree of compression, and other factors which are constantly changingduring the running of the engine, I find that any rigid relation betweencut-ofi and ignition gives inferior results since usually the ignitionwill either be too early. and cause a blow-back or it will be too lateand not give the maximum pressure which the particular charge is capableof. I have therefore devised means for effecting the final cut-off ofthe entering ex.- plosive charge by means of the pressure of theexplosion. The igniter may therefore have either a fixed or variablepoint of operation with relation to the piston-stroke but this pointwill be more or less independent of the point of cut-off since thecut-ofi is effected by the explosion itself. In carrying out this idea Iprovide a certain novel form of valve mechanism for theexplosion-cylinder and new combinations of igniter and valves, apreferred embodiment of which is hereinafter set forth, and furthermore,since it becomes possible with this new arrangement to secure a widervariation in the composition of the charge and in its rate of mix-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 11, 1905.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 273,710.

ture and rate of inflammation I provide novel means for varying thesefactors.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of anexplosion motor constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 representsan end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view. Fig. 4represents a top plan view of the explosion-cylinder. Fig. 5 representsa vertical section of the upper end of the latter on the line 55 of Fig.4. Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the cut-off valveopen. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section taken through the inlet andexhaust valves. Figs. 8 and 9 represent views of the igniter indifferent operative positions. Figs. 10 to 15 inclusive represent detailviews of the admission distributing-valve for the air and gas pumps,Fig. 10 being a plan, Fig. 11 a horizontal section, Fig. 12 a rearelevation, Figs. 13 and 14 vertical sections with the valve in twodifferent positions, and Fig. 15 a section on the line 1515 of Fig. 14.

In the drawings, 1 is the engine-shaft, 2 is the motor-cylinder, 3 isthe air-compressor cylinder, and 4 is the gas-compressor cylinder, allof these being double-acting and having the usual pistons (not shown).

5 is the motor-crank, and 6 is the crank for the two compressors setbehind the motor-crank by something less than a quadrant so that the pums are completing the compression of the c arge while the motor-pistonmoves away to form the combustionspace as usual in engines of this type.The compressors may be provided with any of the usual types of valves.

9 is a distributing device controlling the induction of the compressorcylinders so as to provide any degree of mixture of the air and fuel ineach compressor short of an exlosive mixture. An explosive mixture isliighly undesirable owing to the extreme danger of back-firing, but by acertain amount of premixture the speed of inflammation is increased andit is obvious that when this is done by means of the device 9 as I shallhereinafter explain, the increased inflammability, which in an enginewith a normally-fixed relation of the ignition and cut-off would requirea readjustment of this relation, is in my engine automatically takencare of because cut-ofi is effected by the explosion.

10 is the air-supply pipe leading into the casing of the distributer 9,and 11 is the gassupply pipe leading in at an opposite point.

12 is the air-induction pi e of the air-com pressor 3, and 13 is a simiar induction-pipe for the gas-compressor, these pipes leading out of thedistributer-casing above the corresponding pipes '10 and 11. Thedistributer valve or plug 900 is adjustable through a quadrant and ithas two longitudinal surface ports 30 to connect the pipes 10 and 12 andthe pipes 11 and 13 so that only air goes to the air-compressor and gasto the gas-compressor, and also four aperture ports 31, for connectingall .the pipes with the central chamber of the valve and completelymixing the air and gas for both compressors. By

adjusting the valve plug between the two.

extreme positions "represented respectively in Fig. 13 on the one handand in Figs. 11, 14, and 15 on the other, any desired degree of mixturemay be secured so that the aircompressor, for example, will obtain amixture with too much air to be explosive, and the gas-compressor onewith too much gas to be explosive.

14 are the air-com ressor discharge-pipes connecting by a trun r-pipe 15with the airinduction pipes 16 of the motor-cylinder, and 19, 20, 21 aresimilar pipes for the compressed gas.

17 and 22 represent air and gas induction pipes containing reservoirs 18and 23 and connecting with the compressed-air and gas lines respectivelybetween the com ressors and the motor. Suitable air stop-valves 24, 25,and gas stop-valves 26, 27 are inserted in the piping, and the resultingarrangement is such that the compressors may deliver direct to the motoror may deliver to the motor with reservoirs in lateral branch connectionso as to store the compressed fluid and equalize pressure fluctuations,or the motor may receive air and gas direct through the branch pipes 17and 23 from any suitable source. Furthermore these branch pipes mayobviously conduct away to some external destination a part of thecompressed air and gas delivered by the compressors.

28 and 29 are water-jackets or intercoolers to be used if desired forreducing the temperature of com ression of the fluids fed to themotor-cylin er.

Turning now to the automatic valve and igniting arrangements for themotor-cylinder, it will be seen that the compressed air and gas firstreach two piston-valves 32, 33 mounted upon a common stem 34 which isactuated in a valve-closing direction by spring 35. The valvearrangements and the igniter arrangements are duplicated at oppositeends of the cylinder so that a description of one end will sufiice. 36is the air-inlet passage for the motor controlled by valve 32, and 37 isthe gas-inlet passage controlled by valve 33, these passages becomingeoncentric at the entrance to the motor-eylimler with a gas-entranceport encircled by an annular air-entrance port, as seen in Figs. 5 and6, whereby the air andv become effectively mixed at their entrance; andthe two ports are controlled by a single puppet check-valve structureincluding an annular air-valve 38 and a gas-valve 39 connected therewithby somewhat flexible arms to in sure proper seating of both valves. Thisvalve structure has two posts or stems -10, as best seen in Fig. 4,connected above the cylinder-head by a cross-bar 41 Said crossbar isembraced by the slotted short arm 42 of a lever on a shaft 43 and thelong arm 44 of this lever has a slot in its end occupied by a pin 46 ona pivoted rock-arm or link 45 which I term a triplinl the functionthereof being to arrest the closing move ment of the valves 38, 39without shock and lock these valves whenv seated. When the valves areopen as shown in Fig. 6, link 45 is extended parallel to the lever-arm44, and when the valves are closed the link is brought into a positionat rightrangles or normal to the lever-arm as indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 5-the link in this latter position locking the lever against anyopening movement of the valves 38, 39 due to ressure behind the valves.Fixed to the shaft of the trip-link 45 is a toe 47 adapted to be engagedby a beveled spring-latch 43 on the stem 34 of the piston-valves andthus to swing the link 45 in an unlocking direction. when thepiston-valves move to the lel't as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6. When thepistonvalves move to the right the latch 48 will be depressed by the toe47 if the latter is in its vertical position (Fig. 5) and assume areengaging position behind said toe.

Piston-valve-stem 34 is drawn out against the tension of spring 35 bythe rolling of a wiper-cam 49 which is pivoted to the valve stem,against a fixed abutment 50, and the cam is oscillated to effect thisvalve-opening movement by the upward thrust of a rod 56 operated by theeccentric and link motion to be presently described.

52 is the puppet exhaust-valve closed by a spring 53 and operated by awiper-cam 54 which is pivoted to its stem and acts against a fixedabutment 55. The exhaust-valve is unseated by the downward pull of a rod56 which oscillates cam 54 and thrusts the exhaust-valve stem" inwardly.As it is con venient to actuate the inlet-valves 32, 33 and theexhaust-valve 52 by the same valve motion the respective rods 51 and 56are connected through suitable rockers and in termediate rods 86, S7with a rock-shaft 85, but the exhaust-valve might obviously be operatedby an independent mechanism worked shoulder on a cam-plate 60 oscillatedby the The electrodes are set incontact by the enthe igniter at theupper end of the cylinder the initial-upward movement of cam-platecam-plate detent 63 yields to pass the catch from the cam-shaft and notsubject to the same variable control as the inlet-valves, which I shallnow describe.

65 and 66 are two eccentrics on the motorshaft 1 adapted for forward andreverse running respectively and connected by rods 67, 68 with theopposite ends of a Stephenson link 69 which is guided by a rocker-arm70. In the link are mounted two blocks 81, 82 in guide-ways side by sideso as to be capable of sliding past each other, the block 81 beingconnected with the rook-shaft 85 by .means of a rod'83 and rocker 84 soas to operate the admission and exhaust valves, while the block 82 isconnected by a rod 88 and rockarm- 89with a rock-shaft 90 which operatesthe igniters as hereinafter described.- For shifting the valve block 81to vary the amount of opening of the valves and also to time them forreverse running when desired by throwing the block to the opposite endof the link 69, I have shown a rod 101 connected with a bell-crank lever102 which has a rod 105 connecting with a hand-lever 106, the latterhaving a suitable latch which cooperates with a fixed toothed segment107 for maintaining thelink-blockiri a desired adjustment. For shiftingthe igniterblock 82 there is a rod 112 connected through a bellcranklever 113 and a rod 115 with a handlever 118 which latches in a fixedtoothed segment 1070. By this means the ignition may also be timedto-occur earlier or later in the working stroke andshifted to one sideor the other of dead-center for either forward or reverse running. A-rock-shaft 90 connects by a vertical rod 64 with the igniters whoseconstruction is indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

57 is a fixed electrode within the cylinder, and-58 is a slidingelectrode adapted to contact with the fixed electrode and form the sparkby separating therefrom, the stem of the movable electrode beingconnected with a pivoted lever 59 which is moved outwardly by a spring61 to separate the electrodes.

gagement, with a projection on this lever, of a rod 64. When thus setthe lever 59 isheld' in position by a latch 62 adapted to be tripped bya detent 63 on the cam-plate 60. or

trips the catch 62 and causes the spark to be formed between theelectrodes 57, 58 by the retreat of lever 59, and the continued u wardmovement of the cam-plate resets t e lever. On the downward movement ofthe 62 without actuating the latter. This form of igniter is merelyillustrative and any other suitable type can be substituted.

' 127 is a rod actuated by the hand-lever 106 and connecting with astop-valve 128 in l the compressed-gas pipe 20, whereby, when the motoris reversed, the gas may be shut off and the motor started on thereverse with compressed air alone from the reservoir 18 and the piping,after which the continued movement of'the hand-lever 106 into thefullgear position will re-open the valve 128 and allow the motor toresume the explo -ive cycle.

200 and 201 indicate the stems of two valves operated by suitableconnections from the hand-lever 118 and adapted to be shifted by thesame movement which varies the time of ignition. This device representsany standard mechanism for varying the output of the compressors toaccord with variations in the load on the motor and the power deliveredby the motor.

In the operation of this engine the air and gas compressors 3 and 4deliver their output to the motor-cylinder 2 under control of the pistonadmission-valves 32, 33 which are timed with the piston and adjustablein timing by shifting the link-block 81.. The piston-valves preferablyopen at or near dead center and-in doing so a latch 48 on theleftwardly-moving valve-stem engages the toe 47 and trips the link 45 soas to unlock the lever 44, 42 which controls the cut-off valves 38, 39,thus enabling the pressure of the air and gas to unseat said valves andadmit the charge into the working-cylinder. At any suitable timedetermined by the adjustment of the igniter-block 82 a spark is formedin the combustible mixture and an explosion takes place. The rise inpressure due to the explosion permits and assists in the closure of thecut-off valves 38, 39 and by the resulting downward movement of leverarm 44 the tri -link 45 is pulled or forced into its verticalocking-position, indicated in Fig. 5. Expansion of the exploded chargetakes place during the remainder of the working stroke and on the returnstroke the exhaust valve 52 is opened and the burned gases expelled. Thecycle is then repeated. By a preponderant weighting of the longerlever-arm 44 or by 'an equivalent spring arrangement the cut-off valves38, 89 may be predisposed to close as soon as the pressures becomeequalized, and if the explosion is a relatively rapid one, as in mostcases, its force will assist the closing movement. It is very importantthat this closing movement be arrested with as little shock as possibleand this I accomplish by the positive mechanical cushioning effectimposed by the link 45 moving into its vertical position of greatestmechanical advantage over the lever and valves, this effect beingsomewhat like that of a crank and pitmanin bringing an engine piston torest at the end of its stroke, the said link also furnis'hing anautomatic lock which prevents premature opening of the valves 38, 39.

Thus it will be seen that the piston admission-valves 32, 33 afterhaving opened to admit the charge past the check-valves 38, 39, may beclosed again either before or after the explosion is complete, and thiswithout either a back-blow or a loss of explosive power, because thefinal cut-off is effected by the explosion itself and depends upon therelation between the rate of flame propagation and the speed of thepistons retreat. Vith a slow-burning mixture, ignition would be adjustedto occur relatively early in the working-strokeand might even beinstituted atpractically dead-center though not completed until asubstantial working-charge had entered behind the retreating piston. Theadmission-distributing-valve 9 controlling the induction of the air andgas compressors gives an opportunity to vary the rate of inflammation bychanging the amount of premixture of the air and gas effected in thecompressors, and thus enables me in eonnection with the adjustment ofadmission and ignition to establish any desired conditions to fit thework performed by the motor, the rate of speed at which it runs, thecharacter 0f the fuel, etc.

While I have shown hand-regulation for the engine it Will of course beunderstood that various automatic devices known in the art forregulating the engine according to load may be provided and these mighttake the place of the hand-levers 106 and 118 or o erate in conjunctiontherewith. It will be also apparent to those skilled in the art that theprinciples of my invention apply to single-acting engines, tonon-reversing engines, and to engines using liquid fuel, and also thatvarious wellknown devices may be substituted to accomplish the samefunctions as the link-motions, igniters and other parts described.

The effect of a premature ignition and blow-back which the cut-offvalves 38, 39 are designed to prevent, would not in the case of theengine illustrated, be more serious than to disturb the proper entranceand fur ther combustion of the charge, unless of course the proportionsof air and fuel in either supply pipe were such as to cause the chargeto ignite in the supply pipe, which might result from faulty adjustmentof air and fuel proportions in the compressor induction. When usingliquid fuel, a pump is of course substituted for the gas compressor, andin such cases it is customary to mix the air and fuel completely at somedistance anterior to the combustion cylinder. In all such situations thecut-off valve timed by explosion of the charge has a useful office inpreventing the effects of a blow-back.

I claim 1. An internal-combustion engine comprising a charge-compressor.a combustioncylinder adapted to have its charge admitted during theearly part of the working-stroke, an igniter, an automatic cut-oil valvewhose closure is timed by the explosion, a combined cushioning andlocking device for said valve adapted to absorb the shock of closingmovement of said valve and hold the valve locked in closed position, andmeans operated by the motor for unlocking said valve.

2. An internal-eombustion motor including a combustion-cylimler to whichis adlnitted a charge during the early part ofthe working-stroke, anautomatic valve operated by the explosion for cutting off the charge,and a pivoted arresting-link for said valve forced into a position ofgreatest mechanical advantage over the valve by the closing movementof'the valve.

3. An internal-comlmstion engine com prising an explosion-motor, acharge-compressor operated thereby, an automatic cutoff valve closed. bythe explosion, a locking device for holding said valve closed, achargeadmission valve located anterior to said cutoff valve and operatedby the motor, and

means whereby the opening movement of said admission-valve unlocks thecut-ell. valve.

l. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder having an.inletport, an automatic cheek-valve controlling said port, a leveractuated by the valve, a valve cushioning and locking trip-link operatedby the lever, a charge-admission valve anterior to the check-valve andoperated by the motor, and means whereby the opening movement of saidadmission-valve matuates the trip-link to unlock the lever.

5. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder, air andfuel admission passages for said cylinder terminating in concentricentrance-ports, connected admission-valves controlling said passages andoperated by the motor, and a single cutoff valve structure adapted to beclosed by the explosion and comprising connected concentric air and fuelvalves controlling said. entrance-ports.

6. An internal-combustion engine comprising a 1notor-cylinder, acharge-compressor therefor, an admission-valve timed. by the motor toadmit the charge during the early part of the working stroke, anautomatic cut-off valve controlling the chargeadmission and closed bythe explosion, an. igniter, and means for adjusting said igniter to varythe timing thereof with respect to both the working-stroke and theadmissienvalve action.

7. An internal-combustion engine comprising a motor-cylinder, air andfuel pumping devices therefor, admission mechanism. lncluding anautomatic cut-oil valve closed by the explosion, an ignlter having meansfor adjusting its timing with respect to the working-stroke, and meanscontrolling the pump induction for varying the composition andinflammability of the mixture.

5 8. An internal-combustion engine comprising an explosion-cylinderadapted to admit, explode; and expand the charge during itsworking-stroke, air and gas pumps for initially compressing the charge,and a dis- 10 tributing-valve-device controlling the induction of saidpumps and having provision for admitting pureair and fuel to therespective pumps or air-and-fuel mixtures of varying composition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, the first day of June 1905.

SIDNEY A. REEVE.

I Witnesses:

L. T. SHAW, M. A. MODER.

